When taking pictures under inadequate ambient light, such as in total darkness or in low light, a camera flash is commonly used. Also, a camera flash can be used for fill-in purposes even when the ambient light is not low. While camera flashes, such as xenon flashes, can provide a high intensity light source to illuminate a scene to a great distance, they cannot be easily controlled to produce a consistent amount of light. It is known that the amount of light produced by a xenon flash can be increased or decreased by controlling the width of the trigger pulse. When the pulse width is short, the flash intensity can vary significantly. Thus, it is advantageous to provide a method for controlling a camera flash so as to improve the repeatability in flash intensity.